Gleaming diyas, glittering lamps, colorful rangoli, succulent sweets, firecrackers and likes – these all make a composite picture of extravagant Diwali celebration in urban India. But, you will find absolutely different pictures of the festival in the rural backwaters of the country where tribal communities live. Indian Eagle explores the rural interiors of India to collect the striking glimpses of Diwali celebration by the tribal people whose multi-ethnic identity and culture are distinctly defined in contrast to the harmony of various cultures in a cosmopolitan society. Lets see how tribal India celebrates the Festival of Lights…

Diwali celebration is synonymous with simplicity for the tribal communities of Jharkhand. They celebrate the festival of lights, known as “Sohrai”, in a more realistic way associated with the means of sustenance in daily life. This festive occasion marks the harvest of rice, and the worship of cattle is part of the celebration in the tribal villages of the state. Harvest and cattle are the main sources of livelihood for them. The women in countryside decorate the mud walls of their houses (mainly huts) with art murals, which is unique to their culture. Also, domestic animals are adorned for the celebration.

The way of Diwali celebration in the state of Odisha is different from the ways the other states of India celebrate the festival in. The tribal folks of Odisha, on the occasion of Diwali, seek the blessings of their ancestors who are believed to be living somewhere in the heaven after the demise of their mortal bodies on earth. The ritualistic manner of worshiping ancestors is unique to their cultural heritage. “Kaunria Kathi” is one of the rituals that they perform during the festivity. As per the ritual, they burn jute stems to create fire as a signal to summon the ancestors and request for their blessings.

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The people of the Sindhi community in the states of India have developed their own way of Diwali celebration, which is unique to their cultural identity in the social fabric of the country. This regional community of India refers to the celebration of Diwali as “Diyari”. Like most of the other communities, they worship Goddess Lakshmi. They clean silver and gold coins using raw milk during the worship. Once the puja is over, they take gold or silver coins and tap the coins lightly against their teeth while chanting “Lakshmi aayi, danat vaai” (When Lakshmi arrives, poverty departs).

The way the tribal communities in Narmada and Baruch districts of Gujarat celebrate defines their traditions in contrast to the common socio-cultural milieu of the country. The tribal people of these two provinces in Gujarat celebrate the festival of lights as a harbinger of good health. It is a 15-day long festivity for them. Unlike firing of crackers in cities and towns, the burning of herbal wood of different types accompanies the celebration for the tribal folks. The smoke from the burning of herbal wood is believed to keep them healthy. This traditional custom also stands for the philosophy, that is, “hard work brings wealth, and good health is required for hard work.” They light a holy fire and march a procession to take the fire across the villages in a bid to prevent evils from intruding their habitats. They enjoy themselves over various folk dance forms on each of the 15 days of the celebration.

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The tribal habitants in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh are distinctly identified for their different way of Diwali celebration, known as Diyari. The festivity begins ceremoniously with the marriage of crop in fields with an idol of Lord Narayana. It is followed by the ritual of filling households with food grain. The cattle owners in the tribal community of Bastar are honored with liquor on the first day of the celebration. They offer garlands, paddy and khichdi, a kind of porridge with local flavor, to the shepherds. They perform Gotton puja, another integral part of the festivity, to seek divine blessings for the good health and protection of their cattle. The cattle are adorned with garlands, the drums are beaten, and the crop is worshiped as image of Goddess Lakshmi during the 3-day long Diwali celebration.

Thakar is one of the scheduled tribes inhabiting the forest areas of Maharashtra. Their cultural heritage includes various folk dance forms and songs. The way they celebrate Diwali festival stands for their identity in distinction from that of the other tribes in India. They make lamps from the dried parts of a fruit called chibra, and use the stands made from cow-dung to place lamps on. They worship the grain, stored in a cane basket, as the image of Goddess Lakshmi, on the festive day. On this occasion, they perform a folk dance in rhythm with the beats of dhols.

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Every religious festival is a celebration of the faith of the Indians in the Divine and the Supreme. Maha Shivaratri, one of the greatest Hindu festivals, is observed through ceremonious worshiping of Lord Shiva in the temples all over India. This festival is a spectacular celebration of reverence and devotion to Lord Shiva at the spots of pilgrimage in different parts of the country. IndianEagle takes you on a virtual pilgrimage to some of the best Shiva temples in India this Maha Shivaratri.

Somnath Temple, Gujarat

One of the best Shiv temples in India is Gujarat’s Somnath Temple. It is believed to be in existence from the era before the birth of some religions in the world. The Somnath Temple was the victim of several invasions by the Muslim rulers including the Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. Despite its destruction, the temple was brought back to life by the Hindu Kings of Gujarat. It was reconstructed after the independence of India, the last time. The reconstruction was commissioned by Vallbhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of India.

Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand

Kedarnath Temple is the most popular and frequented spot of pilgrimage in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. The region remains covered in snow and therefore inaccessible in winters. May to October is the best time to visit the temple and offer prayers to the Lord Shiva. When the Kedarnath Temple was founded is a legend associated with the mythical story of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. The area around the temple is landscaped by hills which make the visit a thing of joy.

Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar

A rare specimen of the Kalinga architecture in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, the Lingaraj Temple is one of the top 10 Shiva temples in the country. Believed to be built by the Ganga rulers of Kalinga which Orissa was known as, the temple is a historic spot of pilgrimage in the golden triangle of the state. Besides the main temple with the 180-ft tall tower where Lord Shiva is worshiped as Harihara, there are 50 shrines on the premise. Recognized by the Archaeological Survey of India, the Lingaraj Temple receives a whopping number of devotees during the Shivaratri Festival.

Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram

Ramanathaswamy Temple of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu is on the map of the Char Dham Yatra in India. One of the Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in different parts of the country, this South Indian temple is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. The foundation of the temple is believed to date back to the pre-historic times of the Ramayana. It is said that Lord Rama had built the temple on the way back from the country of demons after his victory over the demon King Ravana. Rameshwaram because of its location on an island in the Bay of Bengal is full of visual treats.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

One of the most revered twelve Jyotirling temples of Lord Shiva is the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi by the River Ganga. The holy ambience of the surrounding of the temple in the morning and the evening is like a magnet fetching crowds of devotees here. The spectacular Ganga aarati is the biggest draw of pilgrimage in Banaras. The three domes and the spire of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple are wrapped in sheets of pure gold.

Baidyanath Temple, Deogarh

Located in Deogarh in the state of Jharkhand, the Baidyanath Temple is popularly known as Baba Dham. Though visited by pilgrims throughout the year, the temple receives the biggest crowd of devotees in the months of rainy season or monsoon which means Shravan in Hindi. According to the Hindu Mythology, Deogarh is the place where Ravana the King of Demons worshipped Lord Shiva and offered his ten heads at His obedience to receive powerful boons from Him. The Baidyanath Temple is intermingled with the faith of North Indians in religion and divinity.

Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain

Mahakaleshwar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, has put Madhya Pradesh on the map of pilgrimage in India. It is located on the bank of the Raudra Sagar Lake in Ujjain, a historic city in Central India. Not only pilgrims but also historians visit the temple. Lord Shiva is worshipped in the lingam form here. In the Middle Ages, the Mahakaleshwar Temple was known as a treasure trove of gold and jewels which were looted by the then Sultani rulers.

Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, Srisailam

Andhra Pradesh has its share of the fame for being the location of one of the twelve Jyotirling temples. The Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Srisailam is a scared spot of divinity for the Hindu pilgrims from the country over. The construction of the temple and the foundation of the Shiva Lingam are associated with a mythological story of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Srisailam is a hill station by the Krishna River whose beautiful panorama is a call of nature to photographers. It is the best visit in monsoon and winter.

The cheapest air ticket for flight to India is the opportunity for you to walk down the path of divine faith to these Shiva temples this Maha Shivaratri. First, click your way to IndianEagle.com.

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